1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable digital communication device including cellular phones, personal digital assistants and hand held phones, and more particularly to a portable digital communication device that can be used as a gaming device and a personal digital assistant (PDA).
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the term “portable communication devices” refers to devices that are portable and enable the owners of the devices to conduct wireless communications. Such portable communication devices have become increasingly small, slim, and lightweight, which in turn increases their portability. Furthermore, such portable communication devices have been adapted to handle multimedia, whereby the devices have various additional functions. Future portable communication terminals will be miniaturized, lightweight, multipurpose terminals with various functions, which will be easily adapted to various multimedia and Internet environments. The portable communication terminals are electronic devices commonly used by people of all ages and both sexes all over the world, which are considered as necessities of life.
The portable communication devices can be classified into several types of communication devices. For example, the portable communication devices may be classified into a bar-type communication device, a flip-type communication device, and a folder-type communication device. The bar-type communication device has a bar-type single housing, the flip-type communication device comprises a bar-type housing and a flip part pivotally attached to the housing, and the folder-type communication device comprises a bar-type housing and a folder part pivotally attached to the housing. The portable communication device may also be classified into a necklace-type communication device and a wrist-type communication device. The necklace-type communication device is worn on the neck of a user by means of a string, and the wrist-type communication device is worn on the wrist of the user.
On the basis of how the devices are opened or closed, the portable communication device may be further classified into a rotating-type communication device and a sliding-type communication device. The rotating-type communication device is characterized in that two housings are rotatably connected to each other. The rotating-type communication device is opened or closed by the rotation of the two housings in such a manner that the housings are rotated apart from or onto each other. The sliding-type communication device is characterized in that two housings are slid apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. The sliding-type communication device is opened or closed by the sliding movement of the two housings in such a manner that the housings are slid apart from or onto each other. The above-mentioned various types of communication devices will be easily appreciated by a person having an ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.
The portable communication devices have also been adapted to transmit/receive data at high speeds in addition to an audio communication function. Consequently, the portable communication devices use wireless communication technology for transmitting data at high speeds.
It is another increasing trend that a camera lens is adopted in each portable communication device to transmit image signals. The portable communication device has a camera lens module mounted outside or inside a main body of the portable communication device so that a user of the device can talk with another user of a similar device while viewing images of each other, or take pictures of his/her desired subjects.
However, it is difficult to use the conventional portable communication device not only as a game but also as a PDA. A user needs to carry a separate PDA and a game, which is inconvenient for the user. Furthermore, the conventional portable communication device with a game function has a problem in that a key operation is very inconvenient. The key operation must be performed quickly and accurately in a game operating mode; however, the key operation using numerical or character keys on the conventional portable communication device is not performed quickly and accurately. Such a slow and inaccurate key operation does not satisfy the desires of the user.